This morning, Archbishop John C. Favalora and Archbishop-elect Thomas G. Wenski, held a press conference at the Archdiocese of Miami Pastoral Center. Addressing the appointment of Bishop Wenski as fourth Archbishop of Miami, Archbishop Favalora issued the following statement:

“It was officially announced today at the Vatican that Pope Benedict XVI has accepted my letter of resignation as Archbishop of Miami. I have been privileged and blessed to serve as Metropolitan Archbishop of Miami for almost sixteen years. There is hardly a more exciting and challenging place than South Florida. As I move into retirement years, I bring with me very fond memories of my ministry with our dedicated priests and deacons, the wonderful religious and seminarians, and the faithful hard-working laity of the Archdiocese.

Shortly after it was made public that he would become the next Archbishop of Miami, Archbishop-designate Wenski and the Diocese of Orlando released a video message on the diocesan website that began with the following message:

“Jesus once bid Peter to put out into the deep. Now, Peter’s successor has asked me to do the same, entrusting to me this new responsibility. I am being called back to that local church where I was ordained a priest and where I served as a parish priest and Auxiliary Bishop. Humbled by the Holy Father’s confidence in me and aware of my own limitations shortcomings, I once again ask the intercession of Mary, Mother of the Church that I may worthily fulfill my duties as the fourth Archbishop of Miami.”

For the full video, please go to the Diocese of Orlando website.

The official announcement from the Vatican Information Service:

This morning, I awoke to the news that the Holy Father had appointed Bishop Thomas Wenski as the Archbishop-designate for the Archdiocese of Miami, accepting the resignation of Archbishop John C. Favalora eight months early. As most of you who are readers of Catholic blogs know, news of this appointment has been expected for some time now. However, this appointment is close to home for me. As a seminarian for the Diocese of Orlando, it was Bishop Wenski who accepted me and allowed me to be given this opportunity to journey so close with the Lord. For that, I will be forever appreciative to the Archbishop-designate.

In 1976, Wenski was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Miami. He began his priestly ministry working in a Hispanic parish in Miami and was given the opportunity to help start an outreach program for Haitian immigrants to the United States. Since that time, Bishop Wenski has become close to the people of Haiti. In recent weeks, following the devastating earthquakes in that country, Bishop Wenski has grown even closer to the people of Haiti, praying for them, crying with them, mourning with them. With Wenski now at the helm of the Archdiocese, the fraternity between the people of Miami and Haiti will only continue to grow.

This afternoon, as I was putting off writing a homily for my Catechism class, I was visiting the Catholic blogs that I read everyday when I came upon this bit of interesting news regarding the next Archbishop of Miami. Thomas Peters, the American Papist, writes on CatholicVote Action the following regarding the next major appointment to come stateside: (emphasis and comments mine)

The chatter is starting to heat up in South Florida that Archbishop John Favalora, due to retire this December, may have a coadjutor appointed to his Archdiocese of Miami before then.

I am even hearing some sources (like our own Josh Mercer) speculate that Miami, as the unofficial “Capital of Latin America” [TRUE] and the seat of the Metropolitan of Florida, may be next in line for a Red Hat. [That means a Cardinal folks!!]

The name I most commonly hear for this episcopal role is Bishop Thomas Wenski of Orlando. He was ordained as a priest in Miami, is active in immigration issues, and has excellent Spanish-language skills as well.

If this all comes to fruition, it will be sad to see Bishop Wenski leave the Diocese of Orlando. However, because of his ability to speak Spanish and Creole, his role on speaking out for immigration reform, and the close relationship he has with the people of Haiti, our Bishop would be one of the top choices to be appointed to be Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Miami. Please pray for Bishop Wenski over the next few weeks–he will need them more than usual.

I would like to personally thank Bishop Wenski for accepting me as a seminarian for the Diocese of Orlando. I am so grateful for being given the opportunity to take this journey, which has allowed me to grow in love for Christ and His church. More than ever, stay tuned!

SOURCE: CatholicVote Action | Thomas Peters

PHOTO: Getty Images

On Saturday, the St. John Vianney College Seminary community came together with alumni, family, and friends to celebrate the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in the Chapel of St. Raphael for the 50th Anniversary. Archbishop John C. Favalora, Archbishop of Miami, was the main celebrant of the Mass. The mass was concelebrated by Bishops Thomas Wenski (Orlando), John Noonan (Auxiliary of Miami), Felipe Estévez (Auxiliary of Miami), Agustin Román (Ret. Auxiliary of Miami) and Bishop-elect Fernando Isern (Pueblo) along with priest alumni.

All of the seminarians had a responsibility throughout the weekend. My responsibility was with the Schola, which sang at all of the liturgical celebrations throughout the weekend. The music that was chosen for the Mass covered each generation of the seminary, which hopefully brought back some enjoyable memories for the alumni that were present. Below is a list of the songs that were sung for the celebration of the Eucharist: (I will try to get the audio from the Mass when it is completed.)

• Go Up to the Altar of God composed by James J. Chepponis
• Kyrie from the Mass for John Carroll composed by Jan Michael Joncas
• Psalm 40: Here am I composed by Marty Haugen
• Celtic Alleluia composed by Christopher Walker
• Trilingual Intercessions composed by Donald Osuna
• Desde la Aurora hasta el Ocaso composed by Juan J. Sosa/words by Archbishop Edward A. McCarthy, D.D.
• Mass Parts: Festival Eucharist composed by Richard Proulx
• Agnus Dei from the Chant Mass
• God’s Justice composed by Robert Vallee (alumni and current member of the faculty of SJVCS)
• Amen. El Cuerpo de Cristo composed by John Schiavone
• Sacrum Convivium
• Go Forth and Preach the Gospel arranged by James Chepponis

From a current seminarian’s point of view, having the opportunity to share in the celebration of the 50th Anniversary Mass during my time at the seminary is something that I will remember for the rest of my life. Looking up to the altar during the consecration, I saw two bishops and a bishop-elect who had graduated from this place. Noticing this made me realize that we, the current generation of seminarians, are the future of the Church, which is terrifying and yet humbling. We all bring our own weaknesses with us as we begin the long road of discernment. However, the Lord has called each of us, despite those weaknesses, to follow in the footsteps of the Apostles, the martyrs, saints, and millions of Christians who have gone before us. We have all received the message of our Lord, Jesus Christ and it is our duty to go forth and preach the gospel to all nations and all peoples.

After the jump, more photos.